Alpharetta escapee caught in eight minutes

ALPHARETTA, Ga. – A Fulton County inmate escaped May 6 from the Fulton County North Annex Jail in Alpharetta shortly after being booked only to be caught eight minutes later.

According to Maj. Rueben Wingfield of the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department, which operates the jail (which it leases from Alpharetta), Michael Shawn Wilson, 37, escaped with the help of a fellow inmate.

While he was in custody for his traffic violations, Wilson solicited the help of an inmate who had access to the outside to take out trash.

Wingfield said this inmate traced a path outside, leaving doors ajar so Wilson could escape. He walked calmly through the facility until he was outside and then ran for the nearby woods. But he had already been spotted.

Eight minutes later, Wilson was caught by Alpharetta police officers.

“We saw him make this escape attempt, and we caught him,” Wingfield said.

Wingfield said this was the first escape from the Alpharetta facility in seven years.

“This facility is safe,” Wilson said.

Wilson was initially brought to the jail from Sandy Springs on traffic charges of making an illegal U-turn, driving without tag lights and driving without a license, all misdemeanor offenses. After the escape, Wilson is also facing felony charges of obstruction and escaping.

“He was arrested for a misdemeanor charge and is now facing a felony,” Wingfield said.